Take a CAT scan of your life to improve overall health, well-being

By Marcy Madrid Midland Health

Published 9:00 pm, Tuesday, January 5, 2016

As we all look forward to a fresh start and a new year, now is a better time than any to take a CAT Scan of your life and begin looking for areas that could use some improvement in 2016. A CAT or CT scan is a common tool we use in the medical field to get a more in-depth look at a person’s body and find out what may be going on, beneath the surface. This is important because there’s only so much you can tell about someone’s health by simply looking at their outward appearance.

Some people may appear very healthy on the outside, but through further review, they have disease and sickness spreading through their body. This same concept holds true in every area of our lives. Whether we’re talking about physical health, mental health or spiritual health, it may be easy to disguise sickness, sadness and disease with a cleverly produced outward appearance, but that doesn’t change the reality of what’s happening beneath the surface. To take a CAT scan of your life, you have to intentionally stop and take a moment to review how you’re really doing in all the areas that effect your overall health and well-being.

Let’s start with your body. Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, the many small decisions we make every day related to how we eat, what kind of exercise we’re getting and what habits we have adopted, all have an impact on our health and ultimately, our loved ones. Some of the impact may be short-term or immediately recognized, such as gastrointestinal issues or weight gain related to poor eating habits. Some may be long term like cancers and upper respiratory problems related to smoking or lack of exercise that creep up over time. Either way, as Dr. Scott Stoll describes in his book, “Alive,” every little decision you make each day can and will add up to either a full and vibrant life or a lackluster, sickness- and disease-filled life.

“Degenerative disease is not the result of one event but a number of small, seemingly insignificant daily events that lead to an accumulation of cellular damage, partial healing, muscular imbalances, impaired immune function, and inadequate repair,” Stoll writes. “People often ignore or downplay the significance and promise to take care of it later or make changes next year. The damage continues to accumulate under the radar until the disease presents with physical manifestations. It is similar to the damage that occurs from termites. Silently behind the walls they chew at the structural beams until one day the integrity of the house is compromised, and no one can believe the extent of the damage or the consequences.”

Knowing this, what kind of health decisions are you making every day? Are they decisions that will increase your chances of a long and vibrant life to be enjoyed with your family and friends, or are they decisions that will almost guarantee more medical bills and doctor visits in your future? Many health- related problems and diseases start with a choice, your choice, and you have the power to choose which end of the spectrum you’ll end up in one, five or 10 years from now.

Moving on to your mind, how was 2015 for you, mentally? Did you have the confidence and ability to do the things you know needed to be done to improve your life and the lives of those you love? Did struggles with depression, self-confidence or other mental and emotional issues hold you back from being the person you wanted to be on Dec. 31? What changes do you plan to make this year to get back on track? As part of a first step in this scan, I encourage you to go to www.mentalhealthamerica.net and click on the “Mind Your Health” tab to take one or more of the mental health screenings.

If you’ve ever questioned whether or not your struggles with depression, anxiety, alcohol or mood swings were connected to a bigger issue, this is a useful tool and informative website that can give you private and helpful feedback related to these areas of your life. For those who may not be suffering from a mental health-related disorder, yet still struggle with making the right decisions, now may be the time to consider what your personal values are and how your actions match those values.

Joe Tye, president and CEO of Values Coach, has been working with Midland Memorial Hospital employees over the last couple of years on a comprehensive values initiative. Tye’s research and resources have had a lasting and profound impact on the hospital staff and physicians simply by making us all more aware of the values we intrinsically hold, yet fail to recognize and practice on a daily basis. Check out our “Culture of Ownership” page at midland-memorial.com to see the videos and find out more about this movement. One of the resources Tye has just made available to the public is the Pledge Power app, available on iOS and Android devices. This is a great, daily tool that can help you be more aware and intentional about those values we all strive to uphold but to which we often struggle with commitment. As part of your new year’s resolution to be more determined about the things that matter, more responsible, accountable and authentic, downloading this app for personal motivation and support is a great start.

Finally, the start of a new year is a perfect time to think about your spiritual health. Whether it’s something you recognize or think about on a daily basis or not, this is a part of all of us and should be considered as we strive to live a more fulfilled and peaceful life. In a hospital, the reality of whether or not we are spiritual people typically comes into view when people face life and death matters. Unfortunately, this is not the best time to come to terms with this issue, especially as it relates to end-of-life planning and deciding what should happen to you medically and physically when you’re approaching a state of making your final wishes known. If you haven’t had these conversations with your loved ones and haven’t completed an advanced directive, I encourage you to visit mydirectives.com to learn more and complete one of the most important medical documents in your life.

Here’s a new year of new hope, a refreshed sense of purpose and a renewed determination to live a life of health and meaning. It’s never too late for a fresh start, so here’s to your fresh start in 2016.